Abstract: Space debris is a potential hazard to the safety of normal operating satellites. It is an effective measure to reduce space debris to make the useless satellites reentry into the earth’s atmosphere and burn out. Electro-dynamic tethers provide a very promising propulsion system for deorbiting of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. In this application, the Lorentz force generated by the interaction between the current in the wire and the geomagnetic field produces an electro-dynamic drag leading to a fast orbital decay. In this article, based on the study on the rigid bar model of electro-dynamic tether deorbiting, the flexible cable model which is more accordant with the electro-dynamic tether characteristics is established, and then the simulations of both rigid bar model and flexible cable model are brought up.

Key words: electro-dynamic tether, space debris, deorbit, flexible cable model, rigid bar model